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GU dries out due to weather !

Alan de Enfield

By Alan de Enfield
in General Boating

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

A spokesman for the Canal and River Trust said that the low water level was caused by the recent lack of rainfall.

 

101720242_10223623565234238_573053866991

 

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/section-grand-union-canal-through-4185805

 

I've never been through the Leicester arm of the GU but I'm surprised to see floating pontoons on a canal. Are we sure that's not the River Soar or are they one and the same?

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David Mack Veteran II

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Posted
Posted
51 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

A spokesman for the Canal and River Trust said that the low water level was caused by the recent lack of rainfall.

 

101720242_10223623565234238_573053866991

 

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/section-grand-union-canal-through-4185805

The CRT spokesman is also quoted as saying "The level appeared to be about 18 inches lower than what we would normally expect."

If that is 18" down, how did get my 3ft draft boat through that pound?

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frangar Veteran II

frangar

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46 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I've never been through the Leicester arm of the GU but I'm surprised to see floating pontoons on a canal. Are we sure that's not the River Soar or are they one and the same?

The picture is of memory lane wharf moorings. That pound is canal rather than river...however most of the CRT installed moorings through Leicester are on floating pontoons. I guess as the levels can vary it makes sense. 

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Mike Todd Veteran

Mike ToddDonate to Canal World

Posted
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7 minutes ago, matty40s said:

The river is on the pound above through North Lock, shouldn't have been as bad as that, or taken all day to refill* unless all day is the 11-3 that manned structures can be booked.

Memory Lane is above Limekiln, I think. My last pic is from 2015 before the pontoons were put in place. (They don't show on Google Aerial view either.) At that time the arm was unused so likely to have been badly silted. It is certainly not a through route and the selection of that pic for a media story is a tad provocative - creative journalism?

 

Does anyone know when the moorings were created and are they just long term?

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
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12 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Memory Lane is above Limekiln, I think. My last pic is from 2015 before the pontoons were put in place. (They don't show on Google Aerial view either.) At that time the arm was unused so likely to have been badly silted. It is certainly not a through route and the selection of that pic for a media story is a tad provocative - creative journalism?

 

Does anyone know when the moorings were created and are they just long term?

The moorings were being put in place early 2018, Limekiln lock has always leaked a lot, and the surrounding areas residents are renowned for filling the canal with rubbish.

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frangar Veteran II

frangar

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38 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Memory Lane is above Limekiln, I think. My last pic is from 2015 before the pontoons were put in place. (They don't show on Google Aerial view either.) At that time the arm was unused so likely to have been badly silted. It is certainly not a through route and the selection of that pic for a media story is a tad provocative - creative journalism?

 

Does anyone know when the moorings were created and are they just long term?

I think the idea of the moorings are they going to compliment the redevelopment on the land there if/when it ever happens. I heard a rumour that some were going to be residential and a couple for visiting. I’m all for encouraging more boats to both go through and moor up in Leicester. We had a lovely couple of quiet nights on the friars mill moorings last year. 

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Mike Todd Veteran

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Posted
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5 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Would it have been OK if they had used a picture of a pound that wasn't affected ?

Depends on whether the main line looked the same. If not, then it is disingenuous. (Given #10 comment about leaks at Limekiln)

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
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Posted (edited)
15 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Depends on whether the main line looked the same. If not, then it is disingenuous. (Given #10 comment about leaks at Limekiln)

The canal was almost dry yesterday (June 2) between the North Lock, at Frog Island, and Tile Kiln Lock near Abbey Park.

 

Not having any books at home I'm not sure where these are.

 

Edit to add : Found one !

 

 

 

IMG_20200604_160427.jpg

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The canal was almost dry yesterday (June 2) between the North Lock, at Frog Island, and Tile Kiln Lock near Abbey Park.

 

Not having any books at home I'm not sure where these are.

 

Edit to add : Found one !

 

 

 

IMG_20200604_160427.jpg

We know that Alan, that's what this thread is about.

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, frangar said:

The picture is of memory lane wharf moorings. That pound is canal rather than river...however most of the CRT installed moorings through Leicester are on floating pontoons. I guess as the levels can vary it makes sense. 

CRT do seem to like floating pontoons. A cynic might say this is something to do with not being authorised to construct bankside moorings. Or maybe it is easier and cheaper than dredging and/or new piling. 

Edited by magnetman
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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
Posted (edited)
59 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Where is the 'dry' bit ?

 

Is it on the short 'arm' river section, or between locks 43 & 44 on the main-line ?

It's where number 8 is on your map.

You would really struggle to get anything more than a kayak up the river section now, it's full of rubbish, tree branches and other stuff blocking safe navigation.

Edited by matty40s
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Mike Todd Veteran

Mike ToddDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I have now seen another media photo which shows the main line and that is also empty. It does not look like a rainfall issue but a familiar pound emptying event. Either paddles left open or leaky gates, I would suspect. 

 

The pound on which the wharf sits is quite short but is fed above from the main stretch of the river through the city centre. If there is insufficient to keep this pound filled then there will be really substantial issues with the river as nothing will be going over Evans Weir!

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

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49 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

It's a major problem for CRT at the moment, that with no boats on the move they can't blame all their leaks on "boaters leaving paddles open"

.....or those perennial targets the hire boaters.

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